"Hello, police? I think we may have a problem. It seems like the McKenzie family has been behind all of the children's disappearances here in town. Ever since they moved into their big, beautiful house on the outskirts of town ten years ago, it seems like more and more children have been missing without a trace.”

"Well, thank you, mam, for calling us about this. Can you name the missing children you think they are responsible for?" The cop sounded like he may be taking this seriously. 

"Yes, I can think of four in the past month off the top of my head. Jimmy Hollister, Emily Johnson, Timothy Andrews, and Johnny Nguyen."

"We'll look into this and send some officers to the McKenzie residence immediately."

Sherry hung up the phone and sighed. Hoping they can get to the bottom of this before it's too late. Those poor children...if what she suspects is true, they're in for a world of hurt.

Sherry remembered seeing one of the neighborhood kids talking to other children at the park just yesterday. Still, later that night, he was nowhere to be found. None of us suspected anything at first - we thought maybe he had run off, but when his parents reported him missing, and no one else saw any sign of him, we knew something wasn't right.

She heard whispers that the McKenzies were involved in some kind of cult when they lived out west, and now it looks like there might be something to the rumors. They must be kidnapping these kids and doing unspeakable things to them behind closed doors. 

It had been ten long years since her own son had disappeared. Ten years of wondering and worrying, and not a day went by that she didn't think about him. Sherry had always been a protective mother. She was overbearing, and helicopter parenting came naturally to her, but it was all out of love. 

Sherry's son had gone missing just before the McKenzies moved in. This felt suspicious to her, so she began watching the McKenzie family, trying to see if there was any connection. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to do something to take her mind off of her own tragedy. Other children had gone missing since they'd arrived, and Sherry was determined to find out what happened to her son.

She observed the McKenzie's home, trying to find clues that would lead her to her son. But as time passed and no clues turned up, Sherry's obsession turned into terror. What if her son was still alive and held captive by the McKenzies?

***

The McKenzie family was well-known for their philanthropic projects across the entire town. They donated money to every charity and volunteered for every event. So, when Sherry started to suspect that they were behind the children going missing in their neighborhood, nobody believed her.

The police department kept calling her claims "ridiculous" and "baseless." But Sherry knew what she saw. Then, one night, she saw Mr. McKenzie leading a group of kids into his van, and she knew they weren't coming back.

She tried to tell anyone who would listen, but no one would believe her. The McKenzies had too much power and influence in the community. They could get away with anything they wanted.

But one day, a little girl went missing right in front of their house. Mrs. McKenzie was seen on surveillance video walking her down the street to the local park before she disappeared into thin air.

The officers left, but Sherry hoped they wouldn't give up that easily. She would get them back out to investigate and be there to ensure they got the answers they were looking for. She had to find out what had happened to those poor children before it was too late.

***

Waiting by the living room window, Sherry sipping on her homemade caramel macchiato, waiting to hear the sirens of the cops. Thirty minutes later, she saw a few squad cars pull up to the McKenzie's home at the end of the subdivision. Sherry always envied their beautiful home. It was the largest for miles, and it had a beautiful gazebo and gardens in the back. It looked like something out of a fairytale, but she knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

Sherry watched as the police officers walked up to the door and knocked. After a few moments, Mrs. McKenzie answered the door with a smile, but her smile quickly faded when she saw the police. The officers began questioning her about the missing children, but she denied any knowledge of their whereabouts. When the cops asked if they could come in and search the premises, Mrs. McKenzie refused and threatened to call her lawyer if they didn't leave the property immediately.

***

A knock at the door interrupted Sherry as she watched the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac. Mrs. McKenzie was smiling and holding one of those gross cherry pies she always gave out to the neighbors.  Sherry's heart sank.

"Hey, Sherry! I wanted to drop off this pie and say hello.

"Hi, Mrs. McKenzie," Sherry said, trying to sound cheerful. "That's so nice of you."

"I baked it fresh this morning," Mrs. McKenzie said as she handed over the pie. "Was it you that called the cops on my family and me?"  Mrs. McKenzie asked, her smile disappearing.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Sherry said, taken aback.

"Don't lie to me, Sherry. I know it was you. And you need to learn how to mind your own business."

Sherry tried to close the door, but Mrs. McKenzie blocked it with her foot, her pointy Chanel heels almost stabbing her ankles.

"Please leave, or I'll call the cops!" Sherry was growing more afraid by the minute. How did she know?

"Oh, I don't think you'll be doing that," Mrs. McKenzie said, her voice suddenly taking on a different tone. It was cold and hard, like ice. "I think you're going to do exactly what I say."

And with that, Sherry knew she was in trouble. Big trouble. Mrs. McKenzie kicked the front door and walked back down to her home, Sherry watching her every step from behind her dining room curtains.

The last time she'd had one of Mrs. McKenzie's pies, she'd gotten food poisoning so bad she'd spent two days in the hospital. She was sure the pie filling had to be the blood of the missing children. So, tossing the pie in the trash, Sherry redialed the cops.

"I'm sorry to bother you again, officer, but Mrs. McKenzie just came by with a cherry pie and threatened me."

"What did she say, exactly?"

"She said, 'I know it was you that called the cops on my family and me. Don't lie to me, Sherry. "

"You said she brought you a cherry pie as well?

"Yes, and I tossed it in the trash."

"Please salvage that pie as we will want to test the filling; thanks to your call, we have decided to investigate them more closely."

Sherry knew she shouldn't have thrown the pie in the trash, so she grabbed a spoon to scoop out what she could into a bowl. She was sure Mrs. McKenzie had killed those children and used their blood to fill her gross pies. But she could tell upon arrival that the cops didn't believe her and refused to take the pie filling for testing.

"We don't have time for this," she overheard one of the officers say, shaking his head. "Mrs. McKenzie is a respected member of this community. She’s just a crazy woman harassing her for no reason."

But Sherry knew she was right. She could feel it in her gut. And if she didn't do something to prove it, those poor children would be next.

***

After a few days, the national news had picked up the story of all the children's bodies found on the McKenzie grounds.  The property was quickly becoming known as the "Murder House."

The police were still investigating, but they hadn't named any suspects. The whole town was on edge, waiting to see what would happen next.

One by one, Sherry watched the TV as forensics excavated skeletal remains from the backyard and below the home. With each new discovery, she felt her heart break a little more.

She had known something was wrong with the family, but she could never have guessed this.

What kind of monsters could do something like this?

Over 20 bodies of young children ranging from age six to twelve years old were identified. The forensic anthropologist said they had most likely been dead for at least ten years.

Sherry couldn't imagine the pain those poor parents must be feeling.  Watching the tears flow from some of their eyes as news cameras glared into their faces, she wondered if she would ever be able to know what happened to her son.

NM